The recent firings at WABC and across the country at Citadel owned radio stations got me thinking. Why not get some deep pockets to invest in a New York City radio station. Buy it and switch formats. I know this is a pipe dream unless, you yourself are Mister Money Bags. But, I would encourage any Mister Money Bags to join me in this effort to revitalize LOCAL radio.
When Curtis Sliwa goes national on WABC, there won't be a single local program until 8 at night. So here you have the nation's most powerful, highest rated news/talk station and it doesn't have an ounce of local programming. Major broadcasters have already done this with music radio stations. They've eliminated the local jocks in favor of a voice-tracked talent from one of their big city stations and a computer plays, "a better variety of your favorite music." It makes me want to puke.
There are plenty of very talented out of work broadcasters in New York and they're not unemployed because of lack of talent, but because of budget cutbacks.
I say put John Gambling, Ron Kuby and the like on local radio. Support them by hiring a news staff and promote it. You have talented management people looking for work as well. Take Crys Quinby, the talented and smart former program director of WCBS radio.
You can't do this on WWRL or any other low-power, end of the dial station, but you can do it to under performing big signal, strong frequency stations like WOR or even on the FM dial. It doesn't have to be liberal or conservative. It has to be LOCAL.
Let me ask you this. If you look at some of my blog posts, you'll see stories like the anarchists who bombed the military recruiting station, New York City schools wrongfully promoting dummies and why Mayor Bloomberg won't be running for President. You won't hear these stories on WABC. Program Director Phil Boyce worked so hard to develop strong, local talent and now he's left with an entire radio station of nationally syndicated, albeit talented, talkers. This is a terrible shame.
When Curtis Sliwa goes national on WABC, there won't be a single local program until 8 at night. So here you have the nation's most powerful, highest rated news/talk station and it doesn't have an ounce of local programming. Major broadcasters have already done this with music radio stations. They've eliminated the local jocks in favor of a voice-tracked talent from one of their big city stations and a computer plays, "a better variety of your favorite music." It makes me want to puke.
There are plenty of very talented out of work broadcasters in New York and they're not unemployed because of lack of talent, but because of budget cutbacks.
I say put John Gambling, Ron Kuby and the like on local radio. Support them by hiring a news staff and promote it. You have talented management people looking for work as well. Take Crys Quinby, the talented and smart former program director of WCBS radio.
You can't do this on WWRL or any other low-power, end of the dial station, but you can do it to under performing big signal, strong frequency stations like WOR or even on the FM dial. It doesn't have to be liberal or conservative. It has to be LOCAL.
Let me ask you this. If you look at some of my blog posts, you'll see stories like the anarchists who bombed the military recruiting station, New York City schools wrongfully promoting dummies and why Mayor Bloomberg won't be running for President. You won't hear these stories on WABC. Program Director Phil Boyce worked so hard to develop strong, local talent and now he's left with an entire radio station of nationally syndicated, albeit talented, talkers. This is a terrible shame.
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